Alma solitaria

Joel McCrea is riding along, figuring he'll follow the wild geese to California. First though, he drops in on his brother, who promptly dies, leaving McCrea to deal with his four orphaned sons. He totes them along, hides them while he gets a job with kid-hating John McIntire, and gets caught in subplots involving McIntire's cattle-rustling neighbor, Antonio Moreno, and runaway Wanda Hendrix.

Hugo Fregonese directs this with a rather heavy hand, making sure that the audience is aware of the subtext, and this extends into the various questions and mysteries that the plot concerns itself with, and the heavy-handed musical stings to indicate the jokes. Still, there is some startling original landscape photography by Charles P. Boyle, and Russell Simpson, an inveterate marker of A westerns since he appeared in Demille's THE VIRGINIAN in 1914.

Joel McCrea, who likes life free, easy, and independent in Saddle Tramp, on an impulse visit to friend John Ridgely finds himself taking responsibility for his four boys when Ridgely is killed in an accident.

That in a nutshell is the film Saddle Tramp. But it's far more than that, it's what is meant when a film is said to be family entertainment. It's one of Joel McCrea's better westerns in his post World War II period.

The change of lifestyle doesn't come without problems for McCrea. Now he has to get some real work in order to take Ridgely's small ranch out of debt and put food on the table for five. During the course of the film it's six as runaway Wanda Hendrix joins the merry band as she's looking to escape from Uncle Ed Begley.

McCrea also finds work for John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan and gets himself in the middle of a range war between McIntire and neighbor Antonio Moreno. Cattle is being stolen from both ranches and the two neighbors are blaming each other. The film gives you two possibilities as the brains behind the stealing.

Best supporting performance is that of McIntire as the irascible ranch owner who doesn't like children and won't hire anyone with them. That fact is the reason for all the machinations McCrea has to go through.

Saddle Tramp is a nice easy to take western and great for a Saturday morning viewing.

A family type western from Hollywood's most underrated cowboy, Joel McCrea. Here he gives up a footloose, carefree life to care for four homeless boys and a run-away girl (Hendrix). It's a low-key little scenic drama, with little gunplay, but one heck-uv-a knock-down drag- out fist fight. Somebody's stealing cattle from Connor's (McCrea) employer and it looks like it's his Mexican neighbor, but is it. Connor gets mixed up in the feud, like it or not.

McCrea delivers one of his typically likable low-key performances. There's not an ounce of swagger or ego to Connor, but you know his character qualities are solid and he'll come through when he needs to. This is not every western fans cup of tea, but it is both offbeat and entertaining thanks to the sterling Joel McCrea.

I prefer forget this western as from the great film director of APACHE DRUMS and THE RAID, two awesome westerns for my taste. This one is an oater for me, and with Joel Mc Crea, I don't know why, I am not surprised. It is not a crap although, an agreeable flick destined to wide audiences, the whole family. So please, don't judge Hugo Fregonese with this one, APACHE DRUMS is one of the best westerns ever made in terms of atmosphere, nothing to do with this western. A western buff will appreciate SADDLE TRAMP anyway. It is not rough, violent, gritty as many western goers seek and there is also no real surprise.

An excellent Western. Joel McCrea delivers a fine performance as is usual for this gifted actor. The story moves well, and the supporting cast does a fine job. If you haven't seen it, and love Westerns, by all means don't let this one slide by.